One of the more difficult aspects of the game of golf is the proper aligning of the club face before driving or contacting the ball to provide the desired ball trajectory. Club face alignment to provide the desired ball travel path or trajectory is particularly important when using any golf club, including driver and fairway woods, all irons and when using a putter.
Heretofore, certain golf clubs, such as putters, have been provided with alignment markings, including painted lines or grooves on the top of the club head which are of some assistance in aligning the club face with the desired ball trajectory. However, the location of the club head during the alignment process does not lend itself to permit the golfer to be in a position to properly place the club in a position which allows the club face to be perpendicular to the desired trajectory or travel path of the ball. One desired position for aligning the club is when the golfer can sight from a point behind the club and the ball toward the green, cup pin or the cup itself. However, conventional club marking means do not provide for accurate aligning of the club face prior to stroking of the club if the golfer must move his head to a position where a proper sighting can be made based on the position of the ball and the green or the cup.
Moreover, when a golfer is standing in the normal position of addressing the ball prior to stroking the club, prior art alignment devices do not provide sufficient accuracy for proper alignment of the club face with respect to the ball and a desired trajectory or travel path of the ball. Still further, rules governing competitive golf events eliminate any extraneous or "add-on" devices, such as pointers, alignment bars or similar mechanisms for aiding the golfer in aligning the club face with respect to the desired ball travel path.
However, the present invention overcomes the deficiencies of prior art alignment devices and methods and provides a golf club having a shaft or a shaft attachment which is of an advantageous configuration and is provided with suitable indicia, such as contrasting painted, coated or reflective surfaces of contrasting colors or visual perceptability thereon which provide a surprisingly improved alignment means for properly aligning the club face to provide a desired ball trajectory. Still further, the invention overcomes deficiencies in prior art golf alignment devices and methods by providing an improved method for placing the club face in a desired position with respect to the ball prior to contact therewith.